Why Did People in the Middle Ages Celebrate Saints?

A medieval Catholic Church

People would celebrate saints in the Middle Ages; most holidays in the middle ages were saint’s days. There were many saints, and people celebrated many, but why would you revere a bunch of dead people for being martyrs or mothers of famous martyrs or virgins?

In general, people celebrated Saints because they wanted help, wished to be like them, or the church told them to. Sometimes people would celebrate because it was an excuse to take a day off and enjoy themselves. No matter what, Saint’s Days were fun and happened often.

What other questions about Saints and the celebrations surrounding them do you have? Take a look below if you are interested.

Why Did They Celebrate Saints in the Middle Ages?

People would celebrate for a few reasons, a few of which were:

Saint Thomas of Aquinas

First, celebrating saints could keep them in a good mood whenever someone needed their help. If you were a saint and people observed your holiday, would you be even happier to help? I would. I’m not entirely sure if this was a reason, but it makes sense, I think. Saints helped no matter what. They want those on Earth to make it to heaven.
Second, the time taken to celebrate a saint was time off work. They could party and have fun while they had no choice about it. The church made many saints’ days mandatory, so they were the perfect time to celebrate and relax. Who cares that it is an obligatory holiday when it is fun?
Third, celebrating was easier and more fun than going on a pilgrimage. It was a more secure option, a handy break day, and didn’t cost as much money as traveling. Traveling could take a very long time without cars. It could also be dangerous and miserable since the roads were lousy.
Fourth, saints embodied eternal purity and goodness for those on Earth to attain. Because they lived with Heavenly Father, they were good role models for people to emulate, causing a deep sense of respect. The fact that they lived in eternal happiness made people want them as a part of their development even more because God lived there, too.

In conclusion, celebrating saints was fun and worthwhile. People did it a lot more than they do now. We have a summer break and fewer holidays; they worked during summer and had many holidays. There are a few tradeoffs, but I would choose modern times over medieval times any day.

Who Were Saints in the Middle Ages?

Saints are people who are in heaven. Official saints were people who the pope of the Catholic Church canonized. Canonizing meant that he had researched their lives and deaths and decided they were definitely in heaven because they had led righteous lives, remained virgins even when people died for it, or lost their lives to stay pure or protect their faith.

People became canonized because they gave birth to famous martyrs or the martyrs were their grandkids. Saint Anne was canonized for being the mother of Mary and grandmother of Christ. Many female saints were nuns and virgins. Some male saints were martyrs, bishops, or other things like that. People wanted to be as good as saints and go to heaven.

When Were Saints Celebrated?

People revered saints on days that were important to them. Some celebrations were on their death days, others when they were born. Still, others observed on different days when their relics were moved, when their children were born, or other important days. Sometimes multiple saints were celebrated on a single day. All Saints Day honored all saints. This celebration even included the other saints living in heaven.

The pope could only canonize people he was sure were in heaven, but he couldn’t canonize everyone. The Catholic Church had decided what days to celebrate all the different saints. A few saints had multiple days attributed to them. The Virgin Mary had multiple feast days throughout the year, celebrating her purification/Candlemass, ascension, birth, and conception.

What is a Patron Saint?

Patron Saints are Saints that have a connection to a particular town, job, or kind of person. Sometimes Saints become patrons where their relics are. For example, Saint George is the patron saint of England, along with a few other countries. Before Saint George, Saint Edmund was the patron saint of England. Saint Luke is the patron saint of artists because he painted a picture of Mary and Christ.

One of the most noteworthy and pure female saints during the Middle Ages was Saint Catharine of Alexandria. She was the patron saint of young girls. Many saints were patrons of more than one thing. For example, Saint Peter was the patron saint of shipbuilders, net makers, and fishermen because he was a fisherman before an apostle. He is also the patron saint of Rome and locksmiths.

People celebrate their patron saints and acknowledge them as essential parts of their lives. Name saints were personal patron saints that intercede on your behalf and aid you through life. With the powerful belief and even fear in God, it is no wonder that people wanted help and intercession from saints on their behalf. If there were a person who had to choose between celebrating their name saint or another random saint, they would probably choose theirs.

Where Were the Saint’s Celebrations Held?

There could be a variety of places where people would celebrate saints. One place that people would go to celebrate was a church or cathedral. They would participate in mass and learn about saints, the afterlife, and God.

They would also learn about repentance and how to be like different saints by emulating attributes such as purity, chastity, and belief. Later in the day, people would party, feast, and continue learning. Some foods served in manors might tell about a saint or look like their symbols. Since Saint Catharine was martyred with a wheel (and by being beheaded) on her feast day, food could be made to look like spiked wheels.